Ancient stones

In 1989, a Palestinian Anglican pastor published a book in which he employed Liberation Theology in the Palestinian case. Liberation Theology began in Latin America, where local priests in the 1970s began to push back against the wealth and what they saw as oppression of the Catholic church in relation to the indigenous peoples. The theology based its notions on passages in the New Testament, particularly the Beatitudes, that talk about how the poor and oppressed are beloved to God; and the oppressors condemned. An implication of this perspective is that the poor are blessed and revered simply by virtue of their being poor and on the receiving end of oppression by large, powerful institutions. It's an interesting perspective, and whether or not one buys into it, Liberation Theology has had a huge impact on how much of the world views Christianity and world poverty. Take, for example, Pope Francis's view on world poverty and strong nations in relations to poorer ones. (And remember, he's from Argentina.)

In Ateek's Palestinian Liberation Theology, the Israelis became the illegitimate oppressors, and not only are the Palestinians the revered oppressed: the Palestinian Christians, which make up to 30% of overall Palestinians, are called the "Living Stones," the ancient-modern witnesses of Jesus Christ, the descendants of the earliest Christians. Within that framework, Palestinian Christians in Israel and the West Bank have begun creating a new sort of pilgrimage experience - in some ways, more authentic in terms of the way ancient pilgrimage would have looked. Christians from around the world who want to tour or do pilgrimage in the Holy Land can come and stay with local Palestinian families, enjoying local accommodations and Palestinian hospitality. 

It's a unique experience, and one sure to introduce westerners not only to true Arab hospitality (which is unparalleled), and also to Palestinian grievances. It is a rather effective tool in the campaign to delegitimize Israel. I don't say that disparagingly - other Christians often experience tours that emphasize the Jewish presence in the land, and generally acknowledge Palestinian claims only peripherally, if at all. One of their best tools is, of course, the archaeological sites that Evangelicals just eat up - proving "scientifically" that Jews truly lived anciently in the land, as described in the Bible. Never mind the other layers of ancient civilizations that are simply overlooked and thrown out as useless dirt, many of which well-precede the biblical civilizations that the Jewish archaeologists are vent on uncovering and showing the world. Yes, pilgrimage and tourism is political!

This is one of the aspects of Christian pilgrimage/tourism that I'll be researching while I'm here. How does the tour one participates in affect one's perspective on Israel/Palestine? How does one's denomination determine which kind of tour one is likely to engage in?

Right now, however, I'm sitting in a youth hostel surrounded by different ancient stones. I'm in the Citadel youth hostel in Jerusalem. It was highly ranked, but I think I'm going with cheap hotels from here on out! If for no other reason, than just for the AC! Surprise, surprise - Jerusalem is hot! The hostel is a little claustrophobic, although also rather atmospheric. Upon entering, you find yourself in a small, tomb-like room made of cream-colored Jerusalem sand stones, with an arched ceiling about 7 feet high at its center, and sloping down from there on all sides. I share a room with 7 other girls, and there is no TP in the bathroom. That's right - they're having problems with the plumbing, so they have installed a water sprayer. (Upon hearing that, I stare at the man for several seconds, waiting to hear him say he's joking. Nope, he's dead serious. So glad I brought wet wipes!)

Maybe I can hold out on the more "solid" bathroom activity until tomorrow morning, when I will go to church at the BYU Jerusalem Center. I know they have state of the art restroom facilities, with all the soft, white paper I could hope for. I hope I can manage.

For now, I'm wrapping things up and heading to bed. By the way these "ancient" white, lumpy stones, leave quite a bit to be desired as a back rest! Now to see how the bed measures up!